The Narrator
The central character in the novella is an unnamed and unreliable narrator. He is an American literary critic by profession, depicted as obsessed and fixated with his idol, the late (fictional) American poet Jeffrey Aspern. Over the course of the novella, he demonstrates a total devotion to Aspern that borders on worship. He is often willing to compromise his morals and lie in the hope of gaining access to letters that Aspern exchanged with a former lover, Juliana Bordereau.
Juliana Bordereau
Juliana Bordereau is an elderly, reclusive American woman who lives in Venice in a derelict mansion with her niece, Miss Tita. The former mistress of poet Jeffrey Aspern, she is identified by the narrator and his collaborator John Cumnor as a target for their biographical project, which motivates the narrator to try and gain her trust in order to read the letters she exchanged with Aspern over the course of their relationship. Juliana proves herself to be cunning and just as manipulative as the narrator, demanding that he pay exorbitant amounts of money to stay at the mansion and luring him in with various mentions of Aspern that she knows will make him willing to give up even more money in the hopes of learning about Aspern. She is also dedicated to leaving behind enough money for her niece, Miss Tita, which demonstrates a more empathetic side to her otherwise abrasive and cold character.
Tita Bordereau
Juliana Bordereau's niece, who has lived in relative isolation from society taking care of her ailing aunt for many years. She is portrayed as a tall, thin, middle-aged spinster. Unlike her aunt, she is very timid and the narrator assumes that she lacks social skills and awareness due to her isolation. Miss Tita feels conflicted between her desire to help the narrator—who she immediately latches onto because of his kindness—and her deep loyalty to her ailing aunt, who wishes to keep the letters away from the narrator.
Mrs. Prest
Mrs. Prest is a friend and a confidante of the narrator. Originally from America, she has lived in Venice for fifteen years. She suggests that the narrator rent rooms in Juliana's house and aids him in developing his initial plan to get the letters.
John Cumnor
John Cumnor is another admirer and biographer of Jeffrey Aspern. He is an English literary critic and the friend of the narrator. He was the first to take a step towards acquiring the Aspern Papers by writing several times to Juliana Bordereau. After the rejection of his offer, he encourages the narrator to go to Venice and make another attempt to get the papers.
Jeffrey Aspern
Although Jeffrey Aspern is not actively present in the narrative, he is a person of very crucial importance. The narrator's descriptions of him praise his talent, beauty, and intelligence, and reveal the extreme extent to which the narrator idolizes Aspern. Through the narrator's depiction, Aspern becomes a quasi-religious figure with whom both the narrator and John Cumnor are infatuated.
